Dumb Question re: weight

[Clark Pace]

My wife and would. Not be able to lift outs. I got 4 people.

[David Somers]

Here's a thought. While you can certainly lift that with two healthy people, as others have said, maneuvering it will be harder.

How about going down to the local rental shop and renting two, forklift style lifts. Sometimes they are called lift trucks. I know them here as Genie lifts. It is a tall, wheeled lift with a wide base for stability, and forks that will raise up quite a height and can normally handle 400 to 500 lbs at least. They are hand crank and not expensive to rent for a half day or day.

Use one outside to get the laser off the truck and rolled into position at the window, and then raised up to clear the sill. Then while it is sitting in the window like that use the second one inside to take it from the first and roll it to where it is needed, and lower it there.

There may be some other types of lifts that might be more appropriate so look around. But if you could do it with a rental equipment I would be tempted to do that rather than lifting it by hand if possible. The ramp ideas have a lot of merit as well. Make sure you have a way to secure it at various points though in case you need a break on the way up or down.

PS....I used the Genie Hoist to lift and move my 700lb table top CNC from the palette onto the rolling table I made for it. Did it all by myself with the help of that lift. Worked really well and at no point was I wondering if I should line up an orthopedic surgeon before or after that move. <grin>

Dave

[Adam Less]

Hey Matt. Thanks so much. Interesting as I asked Weike if I could remove the legs and they said no. Will sure make a difference if I can!

[Rich Harman]

It's the same height inside. I might use my quad ramp. I don't think I'd be comfortable 'tipping' it on its side and risk parts inside all getting messed up.

If laying it on its side causes things to get messed up, you've got bigger problems. You would need to be sure the gantry was either secured from moving, or at the back of the machine (if laying on its back), and you would want the laser tube and honeycomb table to be removed, and mind the lid so that it doesn't fly open. Other than that, everything else should already be securely fastened in place.

[Wilbur Harris]

I think you need to figure out an easier, perhaps safer, way to do this. "Safer" for both the machine and the people involved....machine first, people second. Remove all the loose stuff from inside the machine before you do it....however you do it. Good luck!!

[Keith Winter]

If laying it on its side causes things to get messed up, you've got bigger problems. You would need to be sure the gantry was either secured from moving, or at the back of the machine (if laying on its back), and you would want the laser tube and honeycomb table to be removed, and mind the lid so that it doesn't fly open. Other than that, everything else should already be securely fastened in place.

Rich is right if you are REALLY careful you might get away with it, and if that's your only option you gotta do what you gotta do. However chances are you will miss something that's loose and it will fly around and damage things, or you will break the hatch, or you will bend the thin metal on the sides, etc.

BE SURE the cutting knives/cutting grid and that tube isn't in the machine, it's likely that tube going is going to break with all this man handling and tipping on it's side. Remember it might have made it from China, but that was with the machine on it's feet. If you drop it only a few inches onto the floor when you put it on it's side, you're asking for trouble and a broken tube.

[Bill George]

Rent a fork truck.

[Jerome Stanek]

Rich is right if you are REALLY careful you might get away with it, and if that's your only option you gotta do what you gotta do. However chances are you will miss something that's loose and it will fly around and damage things, or you will break the hatch, or you will bend the thin metal on the sides, etc.

BE SURE the cutting knives/cutting grid and that tube isn't in the machine, it's likely that tube going is going to break with all this man handling and tipping on it's side. Remember it might have made it from China, but that was with the machine on it's feet. If you drop it only a few inches onto the floor when you put it on it's side, you're asking for trouble and a broken tube.

What difference is laying it on it's side or having it bounce around on the ocean and in a truck. I have seen a lot of units that they lay over to get through a door and up or down stairs

[Keith Winter]

What difference is laying it on it's side or having it bounce around on the ocean and in a truck. I have seen a lot of units that they lay over to get through a door and up or down stairs

Take a look at your tube... The straps that hold it in strap over the tube but they don't go length wise. Dropping the laser on it's side when you lay it down can cause the tube to shift running into lens assembly... Also the bed and all the other stuff inside the case will shift, also all the weight will be on the side doors of the case potentially damaging hinges, do I need to go on?

Look at it this way, cars bounce around too coming from germany or whatever on a boat. However if you tilted and turned your car onto it's side and laid it on the ground on the doors instead of on the tires don't you think something would likely break?

[Matt McCoy]

Take a look at your tube... The straps that hold it in strap over the tube but they don't go length wise. Dropping the laser on it's side when you lay it down can cause the tube to shift running into lens assembly... Also the bed and all the other stuff inside the case will shift, also all the weight will be on the side doors of the case potentially damaging hinges, do I need to go on?

Look at it this way, cars bounce around too coming from germany or whatever on a boat. However if you tilted and turned your car onto it's side and laid it on the ground on the doors instead of on the tires don't you think something would likely break?

If already installed, remove the tube.

Remove ancillary tables.

Wrap a couple zip ties to keep the gantry from moving.

[Jerome Stanek]

My tube came separate in a case that was put in when I bought it. Carole Scott said sometimes they have to take the base off and lay it on it's side to go in. May Trotec is different and can't take that abuse.

[Keith Winter]

I don't disagree that you can do this, but to someone that's never had a laser they are going to miss something. Plus even if you are careful, my point is still valid, it's not meant to lay on it's side. Maybe if you have two Hercules type guys who can twist it sideways to get through, then twist it back right side up without ever setting it down, but I'm certainly not that strong. Lol! The right way to do it is to rent a fork truck as Bill said.

If already installed, remove the tube.

Remove ancillary tables.

Wrap a couple zip ties to keep the gantry from moving.

[Keith Winter]

My tube came separate in a case that was put in when I bought it. Carole Scott said sometimes they have to take the base off and lay it on it's side to go in. May Trotec is different and can't take that abuse.

I'm not sure on Trotec, it's probably actually more robust than a Chinese unit. Just like my SUV is probably more robust than a kia, but I'm not going to turn it on it's side to find out

Seriously though I agree with your sentiment. When there is no other option, sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.

[Bill George]

Last time I had something really heavy moved, the guy down the street had a fork truck. A hour later and $50 bucks in the guys pocket and the surface grinder was loaded.

[Rich Harman]

All this talk of damaging the tube when laying on its side - I did mention that you would want the tube removed. These machines are not that fragile. You guys are making it sound like we are saying to just kick it over or something.

To be clear, my recommendation is to remove the tube, the honeycomb or knife table, and secure the gantry. Check it over carefully for loose bits, then secure the lid. Lay it down slowly and gently and it will be fine.

You do remember that the OP said that he will have to back his truck up to a window, right? A fork truck won't work, unless he could get it inside the building.

It is dead simple to place a piece of plywood on the widow sill, secure it and slide the machine down on its side or back. This is something that I could do without any assistance. Even simpler is to lift the machine and set it down, providing that you have two people of sufficient strength available. I say two, because in my experience when you have more people than necessary, it actually makes it less safe.